The Only App Travelers Truly Need on Their Smartphones

Forget the thousands of niche travel apps out there. Travelers today are using their smartphones to find out where to go and how to get there.

— Samantha Shankman

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Finding directions is – unsurprisingly – the number one reason travelers reach for their smartphone in a new destination.

More than half of U.S. adults report using their phones to navigate a new destination via GPS — an activity more common than searching for restaurants (44 percent), looking up reviews (31 percent), and tracking flight changes (29 percent) — according to interviews with 2,550 U.S. travelers.

The study, which highlights the top ten most common travel activities done with a smartphone, was conducted as part of MMGY Global’s comprehensive 2014 Portrait of American Travelers.

Travel Activities Done with Smartphone

Respondents

Navigate with GPS

54%

Search Restaurants/Shops

44%

Look Up Ratings/Reviews

31%

Monitor Flight Schedules/Delays

29%

Share Experience via Social Media

28%

Share Experience via Email

25%

Check-in via Location App

20%

Compare Airfare/Hotel Rates

20%

Scan QR Codes

12%

Use Mobile Boarding Pass

20%

Although smartphone apps today are able add context to historic sites via augmented reality and keep track of real-time flight changes, it is this most practical application that most travelers desire.

This trend is mirrored in respondents’ feedback on the most commonly downloaded apps. Of the 32 percent of travelers that download travel apps, almost half are using a map or GPS service.

The next most commonly downloaded apps are those used for flights (42%), hotels (39%) and flight schedules (38%).